Technology is ever-changing, and somebody has to stay in the know as technology evolves and workforce needs change.
That is exactly what Pam Stroklund, the career and technical education director for Minot Public Schools, loves to do.

“I really liked the part of trying to put the pieces together, the puzzle together, of all the occupational programs,” Pam said. “Trying to find the instructors, trying to find the locations, the facilities, the equipment, just and recruiting the students into those areas.”

The CTE program in Minot Public Schools prepares kids for the real world and staying on top of what the future holds is something that excites Pam.

“It’s different every day,” Pam shared. “There’s something every day, it’s a new challenge. There’s new programs, there’s new ideas, there’s new funding opportunities that you can seek out new. We do everything from providing non traditional programming for females to get into non-traditional roles, to internships to providing like the new programs that are coming up. We are looking at a new commercial driver’s license program that we’re going to be moving forward in the new mine at workforce Academy as it opens this coming year.”

With all of the constant changes and evolution of technology, there’s one primary focus for the CTE program.

“We really want to try to focus on some of our workforce needs,” Pam explained. “And then we have community advisory boards that are made up community members, and they provide us input on what kind of occupations are out there, what needs are out there, what skills we need to provide to our students so that we can help fill those workforce needs in the future when the students graduate or move on to a post secondary. But we want to try to train them local so that we can retain them locally in our workforce.”

And as Arlene Eslinger will share, that passion for helping kids and contributing to her community is just part of what makes Pam a Remarkable Woman.

“Everything she does, is great for our school,” Arlene Eslinger, administrative assistant recognized. “She’s always pushing forward, looking for new inventive ways to get classes for students.”

“I think it’s an honor,” Pam shared. “But it’s not just me. I mean it’s an honor for everybody in the community that have been working together to put the new opportunities out there for our students.”

And the future is what drives and fuels Pam.

“So I’m really pleased that this is taking place in our community, and we’re moving forward with so much career and technical opportunities for our youth and our community,” Pam said.

Pam Stroklund, a remarkable woman with her eye on the future.